Drone & Drone｜Siedl/Cao

A one-day-only live installation by Siedl/Cao, the artist duo consisting of Cao Thanh Lan (Vietnam) and Gregor Siedl (Austria), was held at the PARADISE AIR Lounge. The duo is known for their site-specific sound art practices developed in various locations around the world.

They also hosted a screening and sharing event of “Sound Ride,” created with the support of local university students. The work features original instruments that produce sound through the wind generated while cycling.

When people hear the word drone, many may think of unmanned aerial vehicles. However, the term originates from the English word meaning “male bee,” and is said to be associated with the similarity between the sound of a drone in flight and the buzzing of a bee’s wings. In music, drone also refers to a style or technique in which a specific tone—often a low pitch—is sustained continuously or over a long duration, a practice commonly found in traditional and folk music.

The layered, floating quality of the performance evoked a strange and compelling sensation, moving back and forth between multiple contexts—past and present, traditional music and war.

Live Installation
Drone & Drone｜Siedl/Cao

Date: Tuesday, 15 July 2025
Time:18:00～19:00 (Doors open at 17:45)
Venue:  PARADISE AIR Lounge
Address: 5F Hamatomo Building, 15-4 Honcho, Matsudo City
Access: 3-minute walk from the West Exit of JR / Shin-Keisei Line “Matsudo Station” [MAP]
Admission: Free
Participating Artist: Siedl/Cao

 

Drone & Drone is a composition for 8 rotating Vietnamese aeolian flutes that is conceived and developed by artist group Siedl/Cao. This work centers around “drone” – both as a pilotless aircraft i.e. the future of warfare and at the same time “drone” as an ancient healing sustaining sound. „Drone & Drone“ invites contemplation on the dual nature of humanity—the potential to create beauty, goodness, and transcendence while also possessing the power to destroy both the world and ourselves.

Not many people know that some of the earliest unmanned drones were used by the American army during the Vietnam war, primarily for military observation, electronic warfare, decoy missions and in psychological warfare. On the contrary the bamboo flutes used in this installation come from a long-standing and still vibrant tradition of singing kite-flutes in Vietnam, which symbolises people’s hope for peace and prosperity. 

Drone & Drone